iDENTITi
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| posted on 22/3/10 at 03:11 PM |
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New project..
After tea-leaving the haynes book from my place of work a few years back, I've been pretty much bitten by the bug to build one of these but
never really had the skills necissary.
Three years later and I'm now a reasonably competant welder and machinist, so i thought I'd give it a crack.
Basically going to buy a precut pack (I could cut it all out by myself, but it would take far too long, and probably involve lots of mistakes, so).
The only real thing that I'm racking my brain about lately is the choice of engine. Being from a biker background I'd prefer a bike
engine, but this requires slightly more complexity. The only upside I have is that I already have a bike (1979 GS500E) that would happily donate
it's engine, the small problem being the weak 50bhp output.
Any help, or opinions in this matter would be kindly appreciated, and sorry for the waffling on, it's what I do best. 
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Daddylonglegs
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| posted on 22/3/10 at 03:20 PM |
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Welcome to the site
I'm sure you'll get plenty of input regarding engine choices - BEC v CEC will raise it's head too I'm sure 
I'm running (or will be when it's finished) an 'anchor-driven (Pinto) car. I have a VFR750 at the moment and when it can no longer
cut it I would love to use the engine in a car - would sound good and at c100BHP should go fairly well too.
Not sure your 500 would be up to the job, but someone with more brains than me will be along soon I'm sure.
Good luck whatever you choose, you'll get loads of help off this forum 
JB
It looks like the Midget is winning at the moment......
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eznfrank
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| posted on 22/3/10 at 03:20 PM |
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Welcome to the forum!!
Re: the engine, do you have another 3 of those engines to run alongside it? 1 for each wheel maybe?
Joking aside you've come to the right place for help and advice.
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iDENTITi
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| posted on 22/3/10 at 03:29 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by eznfrank
Welcome to the forum!!
Re: the engine, do you have another 3 of those engines to run alongside it? 1 for each wheel maybe?
Joking aside you've come to the right place for help and advice.
Funnily enough, theres 4 of the same engine in the garage, mostly for parts. It's pretty torquey mind, which is why im thinking about it. I
have no idea if it will work, but it manages to get about 400kg of bike away at reasonable speeds. (200kg dry weight + 20lts of fuel, 5 of oil, and
two 6ft 13stone blokes!)
I'm not looking for something massively fast yet, I'm only 19 and am only just taking my driving test. I might try and blag a pinto out
of the automotive side of the college.. haha
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eznfrank
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| posted on 22/3/10 at 03:45 PM |
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a pinto free or otherwise will be a much better option, i'd forget that particular bike engine altogether to be honest.
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UncleFista
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| posted on 22/3/10 at 03:56 PM |
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When you start considering the lower capacity bike engines, I've heard it's the gearbox which is the weak link.
I'd do plenty of homework first
Tony Bond / UncleFista
Love is like a snowmobile, speeding across the frozen tundra.
Which suddenly flips, pinning you underneath.
At night the ice-weasels come...
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iDENTITi
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| posted on 22/3/10 at 04:17 PM |
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Thanks for the replies, looks like my attempt at money saving isn't going to work. Guess it's time to sell the bike and throw the money
at a sierra for parts!
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StevieB
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| posted on 22/3/10 at 04:17 PM |
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The GS500 might have OK torque for it's class, but when you compare to an early R1, it's still less than half the torque and a third of
the power.
There's a good argument for considering both car and bike engines - no doubt this thread will end in the usual banter.
However, best bet is to have a ride out in good examples of both types of car to help make up your mind.
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iDENTITi
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| posted on 22/3/10 at 04:21 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by StevieB
The GS500 might have OK torque for it's class, but when you compare to an early R1, it's still less than half the torque and a third of
the power.
There's a good argument for considering both car and bike engines - no doubt this thread will end in the usual banter.
However, best bet is to have a ride out in good examples of both types of car to help make up your mind.
Yeah, it was seeming a good idea in my head. It would probably just about move the car, wether it would survive is another question entirely though.
Time for it to be sold and a replacement sourced.
Anyone fancy a 1979 GS550E project? 
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StevieB
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| posted on 22/3/10 at 05:41 PM |
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Depends how much you want for it...
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deanwelch
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| posted on 22/3/10 at 06:04 PM |
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glad you decided to forget using the old susi engine on your own.............sell it and use the money to buy a seirra or if you really want to use a
bike engine you need at least 100bhp..........imho
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Steve Hignett
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| posted on 22/3/10 at 06:23 PM |
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Start searching ebay etc once a week for an early Blade or R1 - you can pick them up for not a lot of money...
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iDENTITi
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| posted on 22/3/10 at 06:36 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Steve Hignett
Start searching ebay etc once a week for an early Blade or R1 - you can pick them up for not a lot of money...
Depends how much is not a lot?
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handyandy
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| posted on 22/3/10 at 07:55 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by iDENTITi
Three years later and I'm now a reasonably competant welder and machinist, so i thought I'd give it a crack.
Basically going to buy a precut pack (I could cut it all out by myself, but it would take far too long, and probably involve lots of mistakes, so).
If you are a dab hand at welding & general mechanics you,ll have no prob building the Roadster from a precut kit,
Good luck with your project.
cheers
andy
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trevcbr
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| posted on 23/3/10 at 08:01 AM |
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hi all this is my very first post as im a new member to the forum.
i had a GS 500 that i used and abused for 2 years solid to work and back every day and although its a great litle comuter your right it would strougle
with the work load even in a single seater.
im looking at doing one of these with a bike engine and if you want the cheap option why not look at and old CBR600 i have a 21 year old CBR that i
abuse constantly and she is bulit proff and i think puts out about 85BHP.
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trevcbr
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| posted on 23/3/10 at 08:03 AM |
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Please excuse the typos I'm doing this in a hurry at work
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iDENTITi
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| posted on 23/3/10 at 10:30 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by trevcbr
hi all this is my very first post as im a new member to the forum.
i had a GS 500 that i used and abused for 2 years solid to work and back every day and although its a great litle comuter your right it would strougle
with the work load even in a single seater.
im looking at doing one of these with a bike engine and if you want the cheap option why not look at and old CBR600 i have a 21 year old CBR that i
abuse constantly and she is bulit proff and i think puts out about 85BHP.
Don't worry, I typo'd too. It's a GS550E, not the newer GS500, but, alas, if the funds allow I think I'll be dropping in an
old R1/'Blade engine. I doubt it's going on the road for a fair few years yet so insurance isn't too much of a hassle. (plus the
fact every local boy racer in his mums 1.1 town car will want a race..)
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eznfrank
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| posted on 23/3/10 at 10:42 AM |
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You should probably both have a good search on here at bike engine options. Anything much under a 900 is pretty much unheard of (unless in a single
seater)
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trevcbr
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| posted on 23/3/10 at 10:44 AM |
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Cool if you did you would make them look stupid of course.
i think I’m going to have a go with a 750 ninja I’ve been offered as i found a vid on you tube of a single seater built by some students that say they
got 0-60 in 3.5 sec out of there 600 cc bike engine (how true this is im not sure) but its all about power to weight and I think any sports bike
engine bigger than 600 will make you smile so an R1 or blade engine will keep you grinning like a fool for months
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trevcbr
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| posted on 23/3/10 at 10:47 AM |
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yes i agree the reason im looking smaller is i am going for the single seater option
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Steve Hignett
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| posted on 23/3/10 at 10:52 AM |
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It is said, over and over on this forum, that the negative aspects of having a smaller engine (600, 750 etc) are not that they lack power and that
you'll be going only a small amount slower, it's the fact that the extra weight now having to be shifted is a marked jump in stresses that
the gearbox/drive will have to cope with.
In fact didn't someone mention that in this very post?
You can pick up an older Blade/R1 for around £400 off ebay, obviously like everything on that site, you pays your money and akes your chance. You
could contact people that sell engines, but they are more expensive (for good reasons), Yorkshire Engines, AB Performance etc...
Steve
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ettore bugatti
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| posted on 23/3/10 at 11:07 AM |
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Just super/turbocharge the b*tch.
But isn't emission an issue with the proposed bike engine and Pinto engine?
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trevcbr
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| posted on 23/3/10 at 12:33 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Steve Hignett
It is said, over and over on this forum, that the negative aspects of having a smaller engine (600, 750 etc) are not that they lack power and that
you'll be going only a small amount slower, it's the fact that the extra weight now having to be shifted is a marked jump in stresses that
the gearbox/drive will have to cope with.
In fact didn't someone mention that in this very post?
You can pick up an older Blade/R1 for around £400 off ebay, obviously like everything on that site, you pays your money and akes your chance. You
could contact people that sell engines, but they are more expensive (for good reasons), Yorkshire Engines, AB Performance etc...
Steve
a good point well maid but i think being a light single seater and with the fact im getting the 750 for free i might still give it a go as the
curiosity has got the better of me and I've also seen the single seaters used at the 750 motor club from revelationmotorsport which also uses
the ZX7R 750 lump to great effect
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StevieB
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| posted on 23/3/10 at 01:23 PM |
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Jedi single seaters use CBR600 engine's for one of the classes and I know that Revelation use the ZX7R to good effect in their race cars.
The 0-60 figures are fairly believable, but I know that Jedi's and the like (and anything in Formula Student) are lightweight and very focused.
IE they are built ti do a job just well enough and will need the chassis re-jigging regularly to keep it true.
I reckon you'd be pushed to achieve the same result first time out with a home built single seater, but that's the fun of the developmnent
process
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iDENTITi
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| posted on 23/3/10 at 02:48 PM |
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Bit mroe thinking, and yeah, a 7 is a bit too heavy/big for anything under 100hp/900cc.
The 750 would probably be hilariously fun in an offroad buggy or some such, but again, I'd be dubious about the longevity of the gearbox.
I could supercharge/turbocharge the gs, but, that would mean uprating the engine a bit, not entirely worth it. Also emissions wouldn't really
come in to it, since its such and old engine!.
Secondhand R1 engine I think then... Just have to cross my fingers and hope I don't buy a duff (when I finally have the money!)
Plus I'm building my car a *little* stronger than as designed, but only in the passenger cell. Since I'm a new driver, I figured this was
for the best
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